Building Safety Consultant - BSA in Leeds

Building Safety Consultant - BSA

Department: Operations - Field Based

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Nationwide

Compensation: Competitive

Description

P4 isn't your typical safety consultancy. We exist to bring clarity, pace and real-world support to an industry often bogged down in red tape and vague advice. We work with clients, design teams and contractors across the UK from offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and London.

We talk like real people. We are not here to impress with jargon or hide behind processes — we are here to help clients make smart decisions, avoid risk and deliver safer, better buildings. Our Building Safety Act team is growing, and this role is central to that growth.

We recognise that every person is unique, and we work hard to build a culture where everyone can be themselves. Whether that means flexibility around individual needs or simply making sure people have someone to talk to when they need it, we want everyone here to feel welcome, heard and valued.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Building Regulations Principal Designer to take dayto-day ownership of a portfolio of Building Safety Act commissions — acting as, or supporting, the Principal Designer across both higher-risk and non-higher-risk buildings.

You will work across multiple developments at once, carrying them from early design through RIBA Stages 2 to 6 and the Gateway process. Projects will typically be yours to lead, with the backing of a senior team and technical peer review. Expect to spend your time between home, our offices, client offices, design team meetings and project sites.

This is a role for someone who is passionate about technical delivery rather than design for its own sake: coordinating the route to compliance, holding the design team to it, and giving clients advice they can actually act on.

Key Responsibilities

Client duty advisory

• Liaise with the client on their duties under the Building Safety Act, making sure they understand what is required of them and are supported to discharge it.
• Support the project team in notifying the regulator of dutyholder appointments.
• Obtain a client statement confirming their acceptance of the building regulations application.
• Support the client in obtaining assurances and a letter of conformity at the close of the design phase.

Principal Designer duties under the Building Safety Act

• Take all reasonable steps to ensure design work is planned, managed and monitored so that it complies with all relevant requirements.
• Coordinate the route to compliance with the consultant team, and establish a consensus on how compliance will be achieved and evidenced.
• Ensure cooperation is occurring between all dutyholders, and liaise with them on design work compliance.
• Participate in design development, monitoring progress and identifying risks to compliance as the design evolves.
• Support the team through change management throughout the design phase, and monitor the effect of change on design work compliance.
• Monitor and record the competency of the design team.
• Ensure a mandatory occurrence reporting plan is in place throughout the design phase and available when construction work begins.
• Ensure the Fire and Emergency File is in place during the design phase, and hand it over to the Principal Contractor for the construction phase.

Documentation and technical output

• Prepare and produce BSA progress reports at the end of each RIBA Stage and at each Gateway submission.
• Review Golden Thread information and provide a conformity of duties statement.
• Review dutyholder documents and monitor Building Control submissions.
• Produce clear, concise, well-evidenced reports, advice notes and gap analyses for client and design team audiences.
• Maintain accurate, auditable project records across your commissions.

Design team and meetings

• Attend design team and workshop meetings in line with the allowance within the agreed scope.
• Carry out consultant competency reviews at the start of a commission.
• Undertake design risk management reviews, and identify compliance risks and scope gaps early.
• Obtain statements of compliance from the planning architect or from a previously appointed Principal Designer where there has been one.

Clients, commercial and team

• Act as the day-to-day point of contact on your commissions, building the kind of relationships that lead to repeat instruction.
• Contribute to fee proposals, bids and scoping conversations, and identify follow-on opportunities within existing client accounts.
• Manage your own workload, programme and recorded time across concurrent commissions, flagging resourcing or fee pressures early.
• Mentor and manage junior staff, and contribute to the technical standards and templates the wider team works to.

Services overview

RIBA Stage 2

• Consultant competency review
• Design risk management review, identifying compliance risk and scope gaps.
• Obtain a statement of compliance from the planning architect or Principle Designer where one has been appointed.

RIBA Stage 3

• Coordinate the route to compliance with the consultant team.
• Attend design team meetings.
• Obtain a client statement confirming acceptance of the building regulations application.

RIBA Stage 4

• Support the client in obtaining a letter of conformity for design compliance.
• Monitor Building Control submissions.
• Review the dutyholder documents.

RIBA Stage 5

• Support the conclusion of the contractor's design portion.
• Support the review of key contractors' Quality Plans, identifying any matters that may impact compliance.

RIBA Stage 6

• Review the Golden Thread information.
• Provide a conformity of duties statement.
• Support the client in obtaining assurances and a letter of conformity.

What you will bring

• A clear communicator, both verbal and written.
• Passionate about technical delivery, not just design.
• Comfortable in a process-driven role, and happy to work to a system.
• Able to work across multiple jobs at different stages without dropping any of them.
• The presence and confidence to grow into and carry the role.
• Self-motivated and professional in approach.
• Willing to be in an office with the internal team — present, visible and contributing, rather than fully remote.

Essential

• Chartered status or equivalent professional accreditation within a relevant industry discipline — architecture, architectural technology, building surveying, engineering or building control (ARB, RIBA, CIAT, RICS, CABE or equivalent).
• Substantial experience in a Building Regulations Principal Designer, Building Safety Act advisory or building control role.
• Demonstrable experience of higher-risk buildings, including Gateway submissions.
• Sound working knowledge of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Regulations 2010 and associated secondary legislation and approved documents.
• On-site experience of project delivery, and a track record of seeing projects through to completion rather than handing them on.
• Experience of leading projects as job runner or main lead within your discipline.
• Working knowledge of construction contracts and appointment documents.
• Commercial awareness — a clear understanding of fee, scope and programme, and the confidence to raise issues early.
• Experience of bidding for and winning work.
• Experience of mentoring and managing junior staff.
• Excellent written and verbal English, with the ability to produce client-ready technical documents with minimal rework.
• Existing right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Registered Building Inspector status, or progress towards registration.
• Familiarity with PAS 8671 and BS 8670, and evidence of CPD aligned to them.
• Experience across residential, mixed-use and complex refurbishment schemes.
• Practical experience of Golden Thread and information management platforms.
• Track record of delivering training or CPD to external audiences.
• Full UK driving licence, and a valid CSCS card.

What's in it for you

At P4, We Offer More Than Just a Job – We Offer a Journey

A Glimpse into Your Journey with Us

• Challenge + Engagement: At P4, you’ll find a platform to challenge yourself, engage meaningfully with your work, and support your colleagues.
• Growth Platform: Our infrastructure and market position go beyond the physical – they’re designed to fuel your career growth.
• Balanced Support: Expect the support and work-life balance you need to foster personal and professional development.

The Perks (Because We Value What You Value)

• Freedom + Flexibility: We provide the flexibility to manage life’s demands, from school runs to healthcare needs.
• Break Free from 9-5: Embrace freedom from the traditional work schedule and enjoy the trust and autonomy that come with being part of P4.
• Holidays Done Right: Birthdays are yours to enjoy, and we go beyond industry holiday standards. Plus, we close for Christmas without dipping into your holiday allowance!
• Healthcare: Access comprehensive healthcare benefits through Vitality Health.
• Buy/Sell Annual Leave: Customize your time off with our buy/sell annual leave scheme.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes: Enjoy the benefits of salary sacrifice options, including EV cars, tech equipment, and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Professional Development Days: Take advantage of paid professional development days, outside of your annual leave, to invest in your growth.
• Career Growth: Benefit from a personal development plan and career roadmap to ensure your progression.
• Loyalty Rewards: After three years of service, enjoy an additional day’s holiday, with two extra days after five years.
• Family Support: We pledge to support family life with flexibility for school pick-ups, after-school commitments, and more.
• Giving Back: Participate in charity donations and challenges, volunteer programs, and make use of our employee referral scheme.
• Life Happens: Whether you’re moving house, welcoming a new family member, or simply need support – we’ve got you covered with our maternity/paternity packages and moving house pledge.
• Team Spirit: Enjoy regular social events and hearty team lunches that build connection and camaraderie.

At P4, we’re more than just a workplace. We’re a community where you can grow, find balance, and be supported every step of the way.

Working arrangements

• Base — nationwide and home-based, with our Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and London offices available to you. We will talk about the office nearest you at interview.
• Hours — full-time, with core hours of 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
• Flexibility — hybrid working between home and office. We do expect genuine office presence and contribution to the team rather than a fully remote role, and within that the pattern is agreed with your line manager and shaped around client, design team and site commitments.
• Travel — regular travel to project sites, client offices and design team meetings, with occasional travel between our offices for team and technical meetings.
• Contract — full-time, permanent.